The letter "T" means it's time for 9-1-1, call right away so help will come.

Learn the song to show you care, and help end stoke each time you share.

Fewer than one in 10 people know what each F.A.S.T. letter means and one in three people can’t name any stroke signs, according to American Stroke Association studies.

To help the public get in tune with the stroke signs, the association has several styles of the song and complete lyrics available on StrokeAssociation.org/WorldStrokeDay. People are asked to share their favorite F.A.S.T. Song with family and friends on social media using #singFAST.

“Most of us can recall using song to memorize something in history class like U.S. states in alphabetical order or the preamble to the constitution. It’s fun and it really works. The same principle works for learning stroke signs,” said Rani Whitfield, M.D., American Stroke Association volunteer who is also known as Tha Hip Hop Doc.

Stroke is the world’s second-leading cause of death and No. 5 in the United States. It’s also a leading cause of long-term disability – though largely treatable.

“Recognizing a stroke right away and calling 911 is the key when it comes to stroke,” said Jeffrey L. Saver, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at the University of California Los Angeles. “We have many effective therapies to treat stroke, but there is a short window for the patient to be evaluated at a hospital and receive treatment like a clot-busting drug or clot-removal device.”

The F.A.S.T. Song and World Stroke Day campaign are part of the American Stroke Association’s Together to End Stroke initiativenationally sponsored by Medtronic. Together to End Stroke teaches Americans that stroke is largely preventable, treatable and beatable.

The American Stroke Association is devoted to saving people from stroke — the No. 2 cause of death in the world and a leading cause of serious disability. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat stroke. The Dallas-based association was created in 1997 as a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-888-4STROKE or visit strokeassociation.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Sing to End Stroke Infographic

FAST Stroke infographic

F - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

A - Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S - Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?

T - Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately

FAST Stroke infographic

F - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

A - Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S - Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?

T - Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately